1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a header transport assembly. More specifically, the present invention concerns a header transport assembly that is connectable to a rigid beam of a header frame to substantially balance the header thereon when the rigid beam is out of vertical alignment with the header center of gravity.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that an agricultural implement or machine, such as a self-propelled combine, typically includes an agricultural header to be carried across a field by the implement. The header is often configured to cut crop material and to convey the cut crop material for further processing by the implement. Sometimes, the header may be specially designed for use with a particular type of crop (such as a row crop harvester or a sickle header with a flexible cutterbar). Thus, it can be desirable to move the header from one field to another without the header being carried by the implement for active operation.
For such transport between fields (with such transport often being performed at a relatively low speed and over a relatively short distance), a header transport kit may be connected to the header to provide mobile support therefor when the header is in a transport orientation. Such a transport kit may be shiftable between field and transport positions, such that the transport kit need not be physically removed from the header in order for the header to be used for normal field operations. As is generally known in the art, such a transport kit should at least substantially balance the header thereon, so that the header can be safely transported between fields.
Moreover, it may be advantageous for a header transport kit to be configured such that an operator in the field can simply lower the header onto the transport kit for transport with a minimum of effort. Thus, it is desirable to place the header in a transport orientation directly from the implement, without requiring any additional support structure or equipment, such that the transport kit may be relatively self-contained. This generally means that the header must be positionable in the transport orientation within the somewhat limited range of angular movement of the feederhouse of the implement.
Header transport kits are often wheeled devices, and conventional header transport kits have included at least one wheel supporting element that is connected to and supported by rigid structure of either the cutterbar or a skid pad (with such rigid structure generally extending in the fore-and-aft direction). In this way, an axle assembly of a traditional header transport kit can be rather easily disposed in general vertical alignment with the header center of gravity in order to facilitate balanced transport.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, for some cutting operations, the cutterbar of the header must be positioned very close to the ground, occasionally with the header including a portion thereof that is engaged in sliding contact with the ground. Advanced flexible headers can be used to follow the natural contours of a field while severing the crop in such a close-cut manner. Such flexible headers, however, suffer from some drawbacks in that rigid framework structure, to which a header transport kit may be connected, is often limited. The rigid structure that is available may not be in vertical alignment with the header center of gravity, as it is noted that rigid structure generally extending in the fore-and-aft direction may not be present at all. Therefore, traditional header transport kits have been ineffective at substantially balancing an advanced flexible header on the transport assembly.